2. World Sailing Appendix C Match Racing Rules 2017 – 2020
Michael Röllich

3. Objective Simplify some of the RRS
Improve consistency of umpiring decisions
Make racing more spectator friendly

4. Background Derived from the rules of
America’s Cup 34th, 35th
WMRT (World Match Racing Tour)
Joint effort, working group  World Sailing Test Rules 2015 and 2016
MRC (Match Racing Committee)
RRC (Racing Rules Committee)
IUSC (International Umpires Sub-Committee)
Included in the Racing Rules of Sailing

5. What has changed C2.2 The definition of Mark-Room is changed
C2.5 Add new Rule 8 to Part 1 - Last point of certainty
C2.8 Rule 17 is deleted
C2.9 Rule 18 is changed
C2.11 Rule 22.3 is deleted
C2.14 Rule 31 is changed
C6.7 Add new Rule N1.10 to Appendix N

6. C2.2 The definition mark-room is changed to:
Mark-Room Room for a boat to sail her proper course to round or pass the mark on the required side. (Second part is moved to new Rule 18.3(a)) If room includes a change of tack, such tack or gybe shall be done no quicker than a tack or gybe to sail her proper course.

7. C2.5 Add new RRS 8 to Part 1: C2.5 LAST POINT OF CERTAINTY
The umpires will assume that the state of a boat, or her relationship to another boat, has not changed, until they are certain that it has changed.

8. Rule C2.8 – Rule 17 deleted However, these still apply!
15 Acquiring right of way
When a boat acquires right of way, she shall initially give the other boat room to keep clear, unless she acquires right of way because of the other boat’s actions.
16 Changing course
When a right-of-way boat changes course, she shall give the other boats room to keep clear.

9. C2.9 Rule 18 is changed to: 18 MARK ROOM 18.1 When Rule 18 Applies
Rule 18 applies between boats when they are required to leave a mark on the same side and at least one of them is in the zone. However, it does not apply between a boat approaching a mark and one leaving it.
18.2 Giving Mark-Room
(a) When the first boat reaches the zone,
(1) if boats are overlapped, the outside boat at that moment shall thereafter give the inside boat mark-room.
(2) if boats are not overlapped, the boat that has not reached the zone shall thereafter give mark-room.
(b) If the boat entitled to mark-room leaves the zone, the entitlement to mark-room ceases and rule 18.2(a) is applied again if required based on the relationship of the boats at the time rule 18.2(a) is re-applied.
(c) If a boat obtained an inside overlap and, from the time the overlap began, the outside boat is unable to give mark-room, she is not required to give it.
18.3 Tacking or Gybing
(a) If mark-room for a boat includes a change of tack, such tack or gybe shall be done no faster than a tack of gybe to sail her proper course.
(b) When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must change tack at a mark to sail her proper course, until she changes tack she shall sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail that course. Rule 18.3 (b) does not apply at a gate mark or a finishing mark and a boat shall not be penalized for breaking this rule unless the course of another boat was affected by the breach of this rule.
Clear Astern and Clear Ahead; Overlap
One boat is clear astern of another when her hull and equipment in normal position are behind a line abeam from the aftermost point of the other boat’s hull and equipment in normal position. The other boat is clear ahead. They overlap when neither is clear astern. However, they also overlap when a boat between them overlaps both. These terms always apply to boats on the same tack. They apply to boats on opposite tacks only when rule 18 applies between them or when both boats are sailing more than ninety degrees from the true wind.

10. Mark-room decision tree

11. At a windward mark

12. Windward mark cont.

13. At a leeward mark

14. Leeward mark cont.

15. MR CALL E1
Question:
Yellow and Blue are approaching the windward mark on port tack. Yellow enters the zone clear ahead of Blue. Yellow then luffs above her proper course before rounding the mark. Blue bears away to a course between Yellow and the mark. Yellow gybes onto starboard. When next to the mark and while sailing her proper course, Yellow is forced to bear away to avoid Blue. There is a Y-flag. What should the call be?
Answer:
Penalize Blue.
When Yellow enters the zone clear ahead, rule 18.2(a)(2) applies and requires Blue to thereafter give Yellow mark-room.
Mark-room is room for Yellow to sail her proper course to round or pass the mark.
When Yellow luffs after position 2, she is not sailing within the mark-room to which she is entitled, and therefore rule 16.1 requires her to give Blue room to keep clear. Yellow gives room and Blue keeps clear.
From position 3 to position 5, Yellow is sailing her proper course, which includes gybing at position 5. Throughout this time Blue is required under rule 18.2(a)(2) to give Yellow room to sail her proper course, which she fails to do.
Blue has neither given Yellow mark-room, nor allowed her to sail her proper course.
Penalize Blue and exonerate Yellow.

16. MR Call E10
Question:
Blue and Yellow approach the windward mark on port tack with Blue overlapped to windward at the zone. The mark is to be rounded to starboard. Instead of rounding the mark, both boats slow down and continue sailing to windward. At position 3 Yellow leaves the zone while clear ahead of Blue. Blue remains inside the zone. As the boats bear away they become overlapped again, this time with Yellow overlapped outside Blue. At position 5 there is a Y-flag from Yellow. What should the call be?
Answer:
Display the green and white flag.
When Yellow first enters the zone overlapped inside Blue, she is entitled to mark-room under rule 18.2(a)(1). However, Yellow’s entitlement to mark-room ceases at position 3 when she leaves the zone; see rule 18.2(b).
At this point the boats are not overlapped.
As Blue remains in the zone she is considered the first boat to reach the zone when rule 18.2(a) is re-applied.
Blue is therefore entitled to mark-room under rule 18.2(a)(2).
Yellow gives mark-room to Blue.

17. MR Call E6
Question:
Blue and Yellow on starboard tack approach the windward mark, to be left to starboard, with Yellow overlapped on the inside of Blue at the zone. After passing the port-tack layline both boats luff head to wind. At position 3 Blue has given Yellow enough room to tack. Both boats continue forward with the gauge between the boats reducing until, before leaving the zone, Yellow passes head to wind. There is contact as Yellow’s stern swings. Both boats Y-flag. What should the call be? 
Answer
Penalize Blue.
When Yellow enters the zone overlapped on the inside of Blue, rule 18.2(a)(1) applies and requires Blue to thereafter give Yellow mark-room, which is room for Yellow to sail her proper course to round or pass the mark.
When Yellow continues straight after position 3, she is not sailing within the mark-room to which she is entitled. Rule 11 requires her to keep clear of Blue and she does so.
At position 5, while still in the zone, Yellow tacks which is her proper course, and Blue fails to give her room to do so. Blue breaks rule 18.2(a)(1). Because Yellow is sailing within the mark-room to which she is entitled, she is exonerated under rule 21(a).
Note that rule 18.3(b) does not apply in positions 3 and 4, because Yellow is not the right-of-way boat.

18. MR CALL E3
Question 1:
Yellow enters the zone clear ahead of Blue. Both boats tack and continue to round the mark. Blue becomes overlapped inside Yellow. Both boats Y-flag. What should the call be?
Answer 1:
When Yellow enters the zone, rule 18.2(a)(2) applies until Yellow has rounded and passed the mark.
At position 6 Yellow has not yet passed the mark.
If Yellow cannot sail her proper course around the mark or has to avoid Blue, Blue breaks rule 18.2(a)(2).
Penalize Blue and exonerate Yellow under rule 21(a).
If Yellow is able to sail her proper course around the mark, display the green and white flag.

19. MR Call E3
Question 2:
Yellow and Blue enter the zone overlapped. Both boats tack and continue to round the mark. Blue becomes overlapped inside Yellow. Yellow’s boom touches Blue’s hull. Both boats Y-flag. What should the call be?
Answer 2:
Penalize Blue. Blue breaks Rule 18.2.(a)(1)

20. When can rule 18.3 apply?

21. Changing tack

22. Who does rule 18.3(b) apply to?
This limitation only applies to the right-of-way, inside, overlapped boat that must change tack at a mark (tack or gybe)
18.3(b) Tacking or Gybing
When an inside overlapped right-of-way boat must change tack at a mark to sail her proper course, until she changes tack she shall sail no farther from the mark than needed to sail that course. Rule 18.3(b) does not apply at a gate mark or a finishing mark and a boat shall not be penalized for breaking this rule unless the course of another boat was affected by the breach of this rule.

23. At a windward mark

24. Windward mark cont.

25. At a leeward mark

26. Sailing no farther from the mark Rule 18.3(b) limitation
Note 1:
Boats with asymmetric spinnakers or in light air may have a wider gybe angle.
Note 2:
A boat entering the zone on a tight angle to the wind may approach above the mark in order to bear
away and drop the spinnaker.

27. Rapid response match racing call 2017/001 Question 1
Yellow and Blue approach the windward mark on opposite tacks with Yellow on starboard. Yellow keeps on sailing on starboard beyond her proper course to round the mark before she passes head to wind. Yellow then bears away on her proper course to round the mark and Blue has to luff to give mark-room to Yellow. There is a Y-flag. What should the call be?
Answer 1:
Display the green and white flag
Yellow broke rule 18.3(b) when she sailed farther from the mark than needed to sail her proper course, however she did not affect Blue’s course during the time rule 18.3(b) applied. Once Yellow passed head to wind rule 18.3(b) no longer applied. By luffing up behind Yellow, Blue gave Yellow mark-room. No rules broken.

28. Rapid response match racing call 2017/001 Question 2
The situation starts in Question 1, but after Yellow passes head to wind, Blue sails in between Yellow and the mark. When Yellow bears away to round the mark on her proper course there is contact between the boats. There is a Y-flag. What should the call be?
Answer 2:
Penalize Blue
Yellow was entitled to mark-room under rule 18.2(a)(1) and was sailing her proper course to round the mark. Therefore she is exonerated under rule 21 for her breach of rule 11. Blue failed to give Yellow mark-room as required by rule 18.2(a)(1)
Yellow broke rule 18.3(b) before she passed head to wind, but is not penalized for that breach (see Answer 1)

29. MR Call J1
Question :
Yellow is approaching the leeward mark below the layline and is clear ahead of Blue at the zone. Very shortly thereafter Blue becomes overlapped outside and to windward of Yellow. At position 5 Blue displays her Y-flag. What should the call be?
Answer:
Yellow is clear ahead when she enters the zone. Rule 18.2(a)(2) applies and Blue must give her mark-room.
When Blue becomes overlapped on the outside, she is required by rule 11 to keep clear of Yellow. Blue gives room and keeps clear.
From the moment the boats overlap until Yellow gybes, rule 18.3 also applies and Yellow shall sail no farther from the mark than her proper course.
The umpires must consider factors such as the type of boat, current, wind strength and waves to decide whether Yellow complies with this rule.
If the umpires decide that Yellow does not sail farther from the mark than she would in the absence of Blue while rule 18.3 applies, display the green and white flag.
If Yellow does sail farther from the mark than her proper course, Yellow breaks rule 18.3.
If Yellow affects Blue’s course while she is breaking rule 18.3, penalize Yellow.
If not, display the green and white flag.

30. When does rule 18 cease to apply?
Rounded or passed the mark?
Boat is on the new leg of the course
Mark is clear astern of the boat
C7.2 (c)
A boat completes a leg of the course when her bow crosses the extension of the line from the previous mark through the mark she is rounding, or on the last leg when she finishes.

31. MR Call E2
Question:
Blue and Yellow approach the windward mark on port tack. After passing the mark, Blue immediately gybes onto starboard tack. How far beyond the mark may Blue sail before gybing and still be entitled to mark-room?
Answer:
Blue is entitled to sail her proper course to round or pass the mark on the required side (Rule 18.2.(a)(2).
At position 3, Blue is on the next leg of the course and the mark is clear astern of her.
Yellow has given Blue mark-room as required by rule 18.2(a)(2) and rule 21 no longer applies.
If Blue gybes after this point, she will be subject to rule 13.2 and then to rules 15 and 16.1

32. C2.14 Rule 31 is changed to:
31 TOUCHING A MARK While racing, neither the crew nor any part of a boat’s hull shall touch a starting mark before starting, a mark that begins, bounds or ends the leg of the course on which she is sailing, or a finishing mark after finishing. In addition, while racing, a boat shall not touch a race committee vessel that is also a mark.

33. C2.14 Rule 31 is changed
Neither the hull nor the crew has touched the mark
Therefore Yellow has not broken rule 31

34. C2.11 Rule 22.3 is deleted
Rule C2.11 is changed = delete Rule 22.3 about moving astern
Dave Perry
Blue had been moving forward when she had the Dial Up with Yellow.
When Blue begins to move astern, she “changes course,” so rule 16.1, Changing Course, applies. (see MR Call B7)
If the umpires decide that Yellow could have continued to keep clear after Blue began moving astern, penalize Yellow.
If the umpires decide that Yellow did not have “room” to keep clear, even if she had taken some avoiding action, penalize Blue.

35. C6.7 Add new Rule N1.10 to Appendix N:
N1.10 In rule N.1, one International Umpire may be appointed to the jury, or a panel of it, in place of one International Judge.

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